Amazon warehouse in Texas closes temporarily due to bed bugs

An Amazon warehouse that was launched earlier this year in Amarillo, Texas, is temporarily closed after bed bugs were found inside the facility.

An Amazon spokesman confirmed that the 1 million-square-foot center was closed because of an infestation. The warehouse handles returns of bulky or larger items such as furniture, outdoor equipment and rugs and does not send products to customers.

“We’ve temporarily closed our site in Amarillo, TX after identifying the presence of bed bugs in the building. All employees are being paid while the site is closed and customer orders are being handled by other sites in the area,” Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson said in an email.

When the center was announced, Amazon said it would create more than 500 new jobs in the area. Amazon has multiple fulfillment center warehouses in North Texas.

The Amarillo facility handles returns, which are sent to a vendor, recycled or donated. The center will not handle customer orders at this time, and inventory will be recycled or returned to suppliers after inspection.